SACRIFICE HITTERS : Playing Major Division Women’s Softball Requires Summer of Commitment

Summer softball. The phrase conjures images of high-arc slow pitches, pot bellies and barbecues--an impression that is not always accurate.

In the Amateur Softball Assn. Major Division there are headfirst slides, squeeze bunts, pickoff plays and enough high-intensity action to hook even the most skeptical of fans.

The major division is to softball what the major leagues are to baseball. It is the ultimate goal for top college and high school players.

There are, however, a few not-so-subtle differences. Lucrative contracts, signing bonuses, endorsement opportunities are to be found nowhere.

Softball, even at its highest level, is a game of sacrifice. To play at the major division--a level attained by a dozen Valley-area women--one must make a commitment for the duration of the summer. For three months, doubleheaders and tournaments are crammed into each weekend.

And if the grind isn’t enough, there are financial burdens to consider. Hotel bills, tournament entry fees, transportation costs and meals are, in most cases, paid by players who spend their vacation time trekking from one tournament to another.

“If you’re playing now you really love the game because you’re putting in a lot of time and money,” said Barbara Jordan, a former three-time All-American outfielder for Cal State Northridge in 1985-87.

There are 80 to 100 major-division teams nationwide. Most of the games are played in tournaments; there is no league with a pennant race.

Four of the nation’s best teams are based in Southern California, including the SSK/Invasion, which plays its home games at CSUN. Other Southern California teams are the Orange County Majestics, the Whittier Raiders and the Los Angeles Diamonds.

The Invasion, Majestics and Raiders are playing in the 18-team ASA national tournament this week in Decatur, Ill.

The Invasion’s travel calendar this summer is typical of major-division teams. In June, the Invasion played in four tournaments--two in Las Vegas, one in Arizona and another in Bakersfield. In July, it competed as the West squad in the U. S. Olympic Festival in Oklahoma City, winning a bronze medal.

Juggling a job with a high-caliber hobby like major-division softball is a difficult daily double.

“I’m thinking of retiring from softball because it is getting hard to do both,” said Priscilla Rouse, who plays center field for the Invasion when not working as a computer-program analyst.

The Invasion is fortunate in that it is one of the few major-division teams with a corporate sponsor. SSK, a fielding glove manufacturer, has a two-year contract with the Invasion for $25,000--pittance for a baseball team of the same caliber but a substantial sum in women’s softball.

Still, Invasion Coach Joe Getherall says, it is “not nearly enough for a major women’s team.”

Despite the hardships associated with the sport, an invitation to play for a top team is rarely turned down.

Debby Day, a former Burbank High standout, planned to take this summer off after her sophomore season of pitching for the University of Texas-Arlington. A chance to play for the Invasion changed her mind, however.

Day is a two-time All-Southland Conference selection who led Division I pitchers in strikeouts as a freshman. Nevertheless, she claims that the prospect of playing in major division was “a little intimidating.”

Even the best college teams have but a few players of All-American status, yet major teams are dominated by a long list of players with glossy resumes.

Bert Weeks, president of the ASA, says Southern California is the nation’s hotbed for fast-pitch softball. “Other parts of the country look up to Southern California teams and strive to be like them,” he said.

The majority of major-division players are college age, but others have been competing for more than a decade. Debbie Langevain, 34, was drafted by the Santa Ana Stars, a now-defunct professional team, in 1975. She opted to retain her amateur status in hopes that she may someday compete in the Olympics.

She is still waiting.

Although softball is being considered as an Olympic exhibition sport, a debut in 1992 at Barcelona is unlikely. Spain, the host country, does not have a national softball team. However, softball is played in the biennial Pan American Games and the Olympic Festival, which is held annually with the exception of Olympic years.

But there are other chances to play overseas. Langevain has twice traveled to China, once as a member of the U. S. national team and once with the L. A. Diamonds. She also has played in New Zealand and Japan.

Travel--for those who can afford it--is one of the few tangible rewards for top players. Yet a steady stream returns to the diamond each summer.

They are aware of what few outside the sport’s inner circle know--that major division is the place for top softball competition.

“I don’t think people know what major softball is about,” said Jordan, who plays for the Redding (Calif.) Rebels. “There are people who walk by a game and stay the whole day because they are amazed.”